Minnesota Stories: Jack and Erin

March 21, 2012

Erin was two years old when her parents learned she had Type 1 (insulin-dependent) Diabetes. According to her dad, Jack, in those early years “the hardest part of dealing with a little daughter with diabetes was convincing her to eat when she wasn't hungry.”

Now Erin is 18 and in college. She is excited to study abroad in South America while majoring in Biology and minoring in Spanish. Before the Affordable Care Act, her schoolwork was far from Erin’s biggest concern. Instead, she worried about being dropped by her dad’s insurance when she graduated, the medical bills that come with needing constant insulin supplies, and how she’d find affordable coverage with a pre-existing condition.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Erin can spend her time packing for study abroad, not worrying about health insurance. Erin will always live with diabetes, but thanks to President Obama, she’ll never have to live without affordable health insurance.

Until she turns 26, Erin can stay on her dad’s health insurance, giving her the flexibility to pursue a passion and a career after college. Once she turns 26, no insurance company will be able to deny her coverage because of her pre-existing condition. For Erin, this means peace of mind. For Jack, it means knowing his daughter can continue living an active life without being weighed down with huge medical bills.

The Affordable Care Act is personal for Jack, “Whenever someone tells me they oppose the Affordable Care Act, I try to explain to them how much it has meant to me and my daughter.”

Change over the last three years has meant more than health care for Jack and his family. Jack is an active Air Force reservist, and thanks to the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, often called GI Bill 2.0, Jack is able to transfer his benefits to Erin, “Without the President’s support in signing the G.I. Bill 2.0, Erin would never have been able to afford college.” So today, Jack and Erin are two grateful supporters. “President Obama’s helped us out immensely not once but twice, and we can't thank him enough.”

March 23 is the second anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act. Want to know how it impacts you? Learn more here and please consider sharing your own story with us.